Preventing basement flooding

Basement flooding can make a real mess in your home, usually after a storm. If you won’t take measures as soon as you can, your basement can suffer very much and the repairs will be very expensive. Because of this, you should take some steps of safety for your basement because preventing damages is much less expensive than treating them.

How to keep the gutters clean

Gutters should be cleaned often and all the leaves, dirt and debris have to be thrown away. If there are plugged gutters or leaking downspouts, they should be fixed fast because otherwise the basement can easily be flooded. If there is no chance to fix them somehow, it should be better to replace them completely to be sure you won’t have problems in the future.

Floor leaks

One of the most usual problems for water in the basement is cracks. You should make a careful inspection to find and fix every crack that may let water in. Some cracks can be repaired easily than others using only some caulk. There can be also bigger cracks that will need a lot more effort from you.

Windows

In case you have wood frames at your windows, you should carefully inspect them to see if they haven’t rotted and will let water in. Replacing them with aluminum or vinyl frames will be more effective and the flooding will be prevented.

Drains

A drainage that is not very good or can’t face big quantities of water after heavy storms, can be another reason for basement flooding. If you face this problem, you can try the French drains that will conduct all the water away from your home. You can try also to dig a trench to a depth of 1 foot and put some broken tile in it, after which you cover it with earth again. This way your house will be secure.

Lot drainage

In case the drainage is not too good, you may need some professional help to choose the best alternative for it. After the decision has been taken, you can take the whole job to the end all by yourself.

Sewer

If there is any problem with the connection between the house and the sewer pipe, the consequences will be bad and will eventually lead to basement flooding. You have to know which one has the responsibility to clear the pipe, you or the city, because in each case you will need to take some different measures.

Pump

For some houses, flooding can be a regular thing. In this case you need to buy a sump pump and install it in the basement. Make sure it works properly and if it stops, you need to replace it with another one.